Red Skies in Morning can Lead to Much Mourning
by SnickieFics
Summary: It is 6 moons after Outcast, and the four Clans around the lake are well. But when horrible dreams strike Jayfeather's sleep and a strange visitor enters the territory, chaos erupts in the Clans that not even StarClan can calm. Will they survive?
1. Chapter 1

A sleek figure ran through the trees. It sniffed ravenously at some brush, then decided for something else. It chose and nut, and was about to take a huge bite out it when a faint rustling was heard. The figure paused, testing the wind and forest around it. After concluding that nothing was wrong, it picked up the nut again and had sank its teeth into the crispy outside of the shell.

POUNCE! The wind was immediately knocked out of the figure. It was never regained, as the life was immediately drained out of him through a deep puncture wound to its neck. There was nothing left to grasp on to, just the sour taste of death.

"Great job, Rosepaw!" meowed Berrynose. Amazingly, he had not carried his arrogance into his life as a mentor, as several other cats thought he would.

Rosepaw beamed up at Berrynose, proud of her first catch. "Thanks, Berrynose!"

Berrynose merely nodded, now concentrated on a thrush in a nearby tree. He crouched on his haunches, then pounced. There was a short alarm call as the air was pressed from the bird's lungs, then silence.

"Good job, Berrynose!" squeaked Rosepaw. She had just been made an apprentice, and her fur was still nursery soft, her voice still kit-like. She lifted her green eyes to Berrynose and grinned. "Can I try now?"

"It's nice that you want to try, but did you hear that thrush call?" Hollyleaf had appeared with a shrew in her mouth, which she had dropped in order to speak. Rosepaw nodded. "Well, so did every other creature in the forest. The prey'll be hiding now, so we'd best get back to camp." Hollyleaf nodded at a disappointed Rosepaw. "I promise I'll get Berrynose to bring you out again later, Rosepaw, and then you can try."

Berrynose scoffed it all off. "It was all because of that stupid thrush," he muttered, cross now. He followed Hollyleaf back to the camp, where they dropped off their catch and retreated to their dens for brief naps.

"Don't mind him, he's just stuck-up sometimes," whispered Hollyleaf to Rosepaw, a hint of playfulness in her voice. She stalked off to her nest in the warriors' den and quickly fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

He was nothing extraordinary, Red wasn't. He looked normal. He acted normal. He seemed normal.  
Yet...he wasn't normal.

He had yet to figure out how to live with himself. He simply couldn't....his life depended on other cats. He had been driven out of five groups of cats, and had yet to find one that would accept him and tend to his needs. It all depended on timing and the personality of the cats he requested help from.

There was only one way he could end this torture peacefully. He recalled the words the old she-cat had spoken to him, just before she died:

_"There's nothing wrong with being different. Other cats can't understand this, as it's too complex for them. Just remember: I am always watching you."_

Red wished he could truly believed the old she-cat's words, but when every cat who cared to glance at you for more than two heartbeats merely turned away and scampered off in fear, it was hard. He wanted--no, he _needed_--to be accepted into some society of cats. He figured that if there was a way to atone for his sins, that this was it.

He stared ahead at the empty woods in front of him, and continued to pad forward towards an unknown destination.


	3. Chapter 3

It was several hours later, and Hollyleaf stirred from her nap. She stood up and stretched, enjoying the feeling that went through her legs. She was careful not to bump into Honeyfern, who was sleeping nearby. She padded silently out of the den, and found Jayfeather sitting in the middle of the hollow, enjoying the thrush Berrynose had caught earlier. She grabbed a small mouse and sat next to him.

"Finally you're awake," mumbled Jayfeather, his nose buried in the thrush.

"Mm hm," is all she could reply as she gulped down the mouse. She swallowed, then asked, "Anything unusual going on?"

Jayfeather grunted. _Nosy sister, always wanting to know what StarClan says._ "No, nothing unusual going on in StarClan," he replied. His sightless blue eyes remained upon the thrush he was nibbling on.

"You never usually eat this slow, so I figured something was up. Are you sure you don't want to tell me?" Hollyleaf prodded. She added in a much lower voice, "I promise I won't tell if you don't want me to. You can trust me on that."

Jayfeather nodded vaguely, but didn't say anything. He finished the thrush and left towards his and Leafpool's den, waving his tail in farewell. For some reason, he was tired. He had absolutely no idea why. He nodded vaguely to Leafpool, then settled in his nest to nap.

"Something wrong, Jayfeather?" Leafpool inquired.

_Ugh. She always treats me this way. Why does she have to monitor my every thought and aspect in life?_ Jayfeather thought to himself. "No, nothing's wrong. Is it that unusual that I decide to take a mid-day nap?" he inquired icily, wishing sleep would take over before she could ask anymore questions.

"Uh, no, I guess not..." was Leafpool's reply. "Well, enjoy your nap, then." She went back off to sorting herbs.

Jayfeather was thankful that she was not going to badger him anymore. He let his eyelids slide shut, and fell unconscious. When he opened his eyes again, it was not blackness that filled his vision, but images of bright color. He did not understand. Where was he?

He gazed at the red sky in confusion, then alarm as dark clouds rapidly over-ruled the red. Then, somehow, impossibly, a figure like a cat's paw reached down from the sky. The "paw" grew longer, until it touched the ground. It took on a form never before seen by cats who had lived to tell the tale. The 'paw' moved along the ground, and as it got closer to him, Jayfeather realized what it was doing.

He understood where he was now: this was in his territory, and the 'paw' was sent to wreak havoc. Trees were uprooted and thrown carelessly to StarClan-knows-where, and when it reached the stone hollow, it did not last. The stone broke in several pieces, and was uprooted. Jayfeather managed to catch glimpses of fur flying in the 'paw', and realized that they were his Clanmates. The whole of ThunderClan was being sucked into the vortex.

It did not stop there. It moved on with incredible speed onto WindClan territory, lifting the boulders as if they were mere leaves. More pelts flew into the air as it crossed into RiverClan territory, destroying its camp. Jayfeather could not bear to watch this... _Wake up, already!_ But every time he opened his eyes, there was the giant cat's paw, demolishing something else.

When all of the Clan territories had been utterly destroyed, the paw headed directly at Jayfeather, taking an unexpected turn. He tried to run, but he couldn't. His paws were fixed, paralyzed, on the ground where he stood, and he gazed up in mortal fear as the giant cat's paw steadily approached him and then he was in it. He felt his paws leave the ground, and was knocked in the head by something. Blackness replaced the colors in his vision, and he felt himself land softly on something warm. He was back in his nest. Awake.

His jay-blue eyes were wider than ever, fixed by what he had just witnessed, and Leafpool noticed this as he tried to sneak out of the den unnoticed.

"Have a nice nap?"

Her question startled him. _She knows._ He didn't...he couldn't reply. Not to that question.

Leafpool didn't stop there. "Did StarClan show you anything?"

_Will you stop with the questions?!_ "I--I just need to think. Alone," he replied.

"Don't be long, Jayfeather. You slept the rest of the day away," she called after him.

Jayfeather stopped in his tracks. His blood ran icily cold. Had he really slept that long? His dream only seemed like a few minutes. He swayed slightly, then managed to continue out into the hollow. He sniffed the air. Brackenfur and Mousewhisker were on guard duty.

"You alright there, Jayfeather?" He had anticipated this question from the kind warrior, but it still made him flinch.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Brackenfur. I just need to go out for awhile," he replied. Fatigue washed over him, but he knew he had to do this...to make it before he collapsed.

"Do you want company? I'm sure Brook wouldn't mind starting her watch early..." Brackenfur offered.

Jayfeather shook his head, trying not to let his weariness show. "I just need some alone time."

"Well if you're sure... I'll keep an eye out for your return," said Brackenfur.

"Thanks, but no need," Jayfeather meowed. He proceeded through the thorn entrance, then set off at a brisk run towards the Moonpool.


End file.
